Why BMW Group's Project-i Thinktank for future sustainable mobility will maintain the Group's position as the worlds no 1 manufacturer of Premium Automobiles.

If MINI is Pop Culture , Rolls-Royce is classic and timeless and BMW is modern architecture. BMW "i" is Sci-fi future.

When BMW announced the Project-i Thinktank many factions were intrigued. BMW has since made a name for itself in regards to meeting strict C 02 targets and reducing fuel consumption in their products since early 2007. The BMW Group are the worlds no 1 Premium Automobile manufacturer as well as the leader in emission reductions .

BMW announced that Project-i will spawn a range of concepts that will range from two wheels to four and will be anything but conventional.
Of course when the Vision Efficient Dynamics debuted at the IAA in 2009 , jaws dropped and finally people could see who innovative and serious BMW are in relation to Sustainable future mobility. But some thought the concept was too adventurous for production until BMW pulled the carpet from under them and announced you will be able to buy this car.

Although the Vision Efficient Dynamics is in design format anything but conventional it lays the groundwork to what you can expect from Project-i . BMW are about to bring the future today as what you see in terms of design the Vision Efficient Dynamics is the signature language of Project-i . Ground breaking drivetrains clothed in high-tech design and functional areodynamics. That is the genesis of the BMW i sub-brand.

MEGACITY

Although first on the road will be the highly anticipated and soon-to-be-seen MegaCity Vehicle. a stunning mobility concept for four - purely electric with a cutting edge interior and bodyshell made entirely out of carbon fibre. Space inside the interior is not compromised by the drivetrain and the interior is very spacious with wrap around glass for excellent visibility. Entry is accessible to the rear cabin via MINI/RR esque rear hinged doors.

The exterior is very much akin to the innovative Vision Efficient Dynamics in terms of design ideas , aerodynamics and appearance.

VISION EFFICIENT DYNAMICS / i8

The Vision Efficient Dynamics production car will be very much what you see and you will be surprised at how the car will arrive for production with minimal changes. Using the term i8, the production car of the concept is not a competitor for premium sports cars such as the Audi R8 and Porsche 911 etc it is more of a Sports car concept for the future. A completely stand alone concept.

Although there have been cries of "needing a V8 , V10 etc" to do so defeats the ideals of the concept and turns it into another premium sports car. Although the Audi R8 etc have their attributes in the end of the day it is an interpretation of a sports car concept by the respective manufacturer. They offer the same image but in their own unique way.

BMW wants to use their interpretation as something entirely alien , something that has never been done before something that really stands out and not as a competitor but a pioneer. Afterall it is a BMW.

Another question to why does the Sports Car have four seats should it just be two? The answer to why four seats is in principle because people would simply pay you to get driven in the car and BMW drivers like sharing their experience with others so they would not want friends and family to miss out . Of course the Production car will feature four seats but further down the Project-i strategy there are plans for an i4 a two seater small sports car in the same idea as the i8 which could be based on the Megacity Vehicle and be purely electric or and as to why Mercedes-Benz have instigated a partnership with Ducatti the Superbike manufacturer.
Motorcycle engines.

BMW have and continue to test it's engines from Motorrad in car chassis's , Motor cycle engines are compact , very light and when connected to powerful electric motors extremely rapid including the new inline six. Should the MegaCity vehicle be well received then BMW might consider equipping the car with a motorcycle engine as a range extender. Although Project-i is also developing two cylinder engines.

In summary. BMWi is not going to be specially adapted additional series concepts but an entire series of models that will aim to offer their own identity and technology. So far you have only seen the Vision Efficient Dynamics and a sneak preview of the MegaCity Vehicle but it is your first look into a new era for BMW.

The new "Clothes" on the Vision Efficient Dynamics" are to bring it in line with a forthcoming BMW Project-i Concept car.

I love it. I hope it doesn't look so much like a concept car when it goes into production. It still needs to be elegant/beautiful and sporty like all other BMWs.

The only things I would change are the wheels, lower the side mirrors to a more conventional position, and put some glass over the headlights.

these are things I would expect them to change when they refer to "minimal changes" along with the doors cause an all glass door seems too crazy to be true. however, if thats not whats changing then Ill be even more impressed. you dont see things like this everyday

The Vision Efficient Dynamics production car will be very much what you see and you will be surprised at how the car will arrive for production with minimal changes. Using the term i8, the production car of the concept is not a competitor for premium sports cars such as the Audi R8 and Porsche 911 etc it is more of a Sports car concept for the future. A completely stand alone concept.

Do you like what you see?

Heck, yeah! It's great news that there will be minimal changes for the production car, I only hope nothing changes their mind (legislation, type approval, etc).

Can you tell if there will be different engine choice for the i8, e.g. a petrol engine option?

I just wonder whether the i8 will be able to go through a band drifting sideways or not. I know that perhaps wouldn't be in line with the ED image but I'd like to know what to expect from the driving dynamics of such car. It is a BMW in the end and so the driver should be able to get some thrill in a typical BMW fashion once he wants to. Am I wrong?

forget about saving fuel, put a V8 in it, put it in production, and sell it for 120K. its about what the customer wants.

I'm with this guy. Sure, you need the fuel efficient girly mobile in this day and age to seem relevant in the market, but why can't we have the supercar too? I don't care how fast it is, a hybrid is a completely uninvolving vehicle to drive and yes I have tried plenty of them. Half the fun of a supercar for me is the glorious sound they make. Look at what Mercedes is doing, they have an electric version of the SLS (coming) and they also offer the most powerful production naturally aspirated V8 in any car on the market (which, incidentally, sounds absolutely ridiculous).

forget about saving fuel, put a V8 in it, put it in production, and sell it for 120K. its about what the customer wants.

This.

BMW needs a supercar, not a Prius with a $200k price tag.

"Although there have been cries of "needing a V8 , V10 etc" to do so defeats the ideals of the concept and turns it into another premium sports car."

If you think about it, BMW doesnt have one. They have the ///M cars, great, but nothing super exciting, they dont have a supercar. Mercedes has the SLS (and the old SLR), Audi has the R8, Porsche has the 911 (along with the old CGT) and the soon to release 918 hybrid. What does BMW have? Nothing that can compete. Its unfortunate, I like BMW, but when it comes to exciting exotics, they are not on any lists.

"Although there have been cries of "needing a V8 , V10 etc" to do so defeats the ideals of the concept and turns it into another premium sports car."

If you think about it, BMW doesnt have one. They have the ///M cars, great, but nothing super exciting, they dont have a supercar. Mercedes has the SLS (and the old SLR), Audi has the R8, Porsche has the 911 (along with the old CGT) and the soon to release 918 hybrid. What does BMW have? Nothing that can compete. Its unfortunate, I like BMW, but when it comes to exciting exotics, they are not on any lists.

BMW could really use a 200K prius, think about how much money the Prius made for toyota, and its not even a great car, its mediocre in all categories except fuel efficiency.

BMW is placing their cards on the hybrid, electric, alternative excitement, hoping that it lasts. With a high performance car that is as attention getting or more than any Ferrari, BMW also satisfies strict emissions regulations and probably capitalizes on federal refunds and incentives. And if that was not attractive enough they re-establish themselves as the leading producer of fuel efficients cars (which they are already well known for). And this marketing sells more 1, 3, 5 series because they can advertise similar technologies introduced in the VED/i car such as regenerative brakes, aerodynamics, etc.

BMW is taking a risk that they environmental craze is here to stay, but it could pay off big down the road.

Audi's R8, MB's SLS, etc all represent conventional weapons of the past. Making a supercar is easy. But making a sportscar that can outperform many other cars of the road, while at the same time pushing fuel efficiency to the limits, is not.

An E92 335i gets to 60 in about 5 seconds while achieving a little under 30mpg.

The i8 is projected to get to 60 in about 5 seconds. The difference is that it does this with half the fuel.

A Prius takes 9.8 seconds to get to sixty. A Prius handles like a log. And yet, the i8 should achieve equal if not better fuel efficiency.

The i8 is not only faster than any hybrid on the market today, but incorporates all the handling characteristics BMW is known for. How can you say this is wrong? BMW is going against the grain and doing something that no one else has done before. The BMW-i brand is one huge engineering exercise, just like the LF-A was for Toyota's engineers. Only this is not one car- but an entire brand. I would not be surprised if we saw technology from the i8 and other i-cars in BMW's other brands.

The potential for new technology and a completely new way of thinking is enormous with the advent if the BMW-i brand. I applaud BMW for having the balls to do something that other manufacturers scoff at as impossible.

Yes, I like what I see a lot! I think this is a smart and wise move for BMW and I believe this is the future.

To everyone that doesn't think so, come back at the end of the year after gas prices start hitting $4/Gallon and stays there. Inflation will occur in 2011, so get ready. In the next 2-3 years, people are going to be asking for more eco-friendly cars, especially in the high performance category. BMW wouldn't invest large amounts of capital if they didn't think so either.

The new "Clothes" on the Vision Efficient Dynamics" are to bring it in line with a forthcoming BMW Project-i Concept car.

Do you like what you see?

I love what I see, and I totally get what BMW are trying to achieve here... don't get me wrong.. if the M1 hommage ended up being a production vehicle to go up against offerings from Mercedes, Audi or Porsche - then I'd be over the moon, but I understand that the Vision / i8 isn't about that, and I'm glad the BMW are trying to lead, rather than follow.

Scott, what is the forthcoming Project-i concept car going to preview, and roughly when will it be?

The BMW i8 is a model of the sub-brand BMW i, and is not a supercar competitor, it is a new creation.
The supercar competitor is going to be the Z8, built by the sub-brand BMW M, and only available with M engine.
We can see 8 is the flagship number and ther are "going" to be 3 of them:
BMW i flagship: BMW i8: It is as we already know the Vision Efficient Dynamics, a sort of coupé with four places, fast, futuristic, ecologic.
BMW flagship: BMW 8 Series: This is the production version of the BMW CS Concept, a 4 door coupé, very luxurious and comfortalbe but fast with its BMW V12 engine.
BMW M flagship: BMW Z8: Even if ther is no M badge, this car is an M car, a lightweight fast coupé-convertible with only 2 seats, and probably a specially developped V10, from the M5 F10. It may be faster than any supercar out there, but will not be a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. For the 911 GT3 RS there is the M3 CSL F32 coming.